Getting on plane

[mperm]

I just bought a used wellcraft excel 18 bowrider and it seems like it is taking a while to get on plane. I am new to boating and do not know if it is normal. My boat will take about 30-45 seconds to get on plane depending on the conditions. After it gets on plane it cruises very nice and the rpm's are at about 4500. Can you give me an idea of how long it should take to get on plane. Also, i ran a ground last weekend and I inspected my prop and it is not bent but there is a 1 inch crack down the middle of one of the "fins". Should I get a new prop because of the crack? The cracked prop is not the problem because it has been doing this since I bought it.<br />Thanks

 

[psylocke]

Re: Getting on plane

Find out the WOT (wide open throttle) recommendation from th emanufacturer of the engine. That seems pretty low to be riding on but is just fine except that you're getting a pretty bad hole shot. If you go down a pitch, you'll be riding at around 4700rpm's. You could probably even go down two pitches and still keep your engine healthy riding at 4900rpm's. But yes, this does seem like a long time to be getting up. You're also going to need a new prop sooner or later. Buy a new one and keep that one as a backup. Just my personal thoughts though. I by no means know all there is to know about boats.

 

[vipzach]

Re: Getting on plane

That is way to long to get on plane. It should only take about 5-6 seconds. What motor and drive do you have? I would take the prop to a prop shop and have it checked to see if it can be fixed. <br />Are you putting the trim all the way down when you take off?

 

[AntsGrady]

Re: Getting on plane

Getting on plain should only take a few seconds. I would get a new prop. You'll also need to play with the trim to find the best performance. Once you find the right trim you may need to invest in trim tabs. I hear smart tabs would be good for your size boat.Is it sterndrive or outboared?

 

[mperm]

Re: Getting on plane

The trim is all the way down when I take off. Is that where it should be? I have an I/O volvo 115hp. Also, when I put more people up towards the bow it gets on plane much faster.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Getting on plane

Wow, 30-45 seconds to plane ? That is a long loong looong loooooong time. Is the boat carrying maximum capacity ? That may explain it. The bow must be pointing to the sky for it to take that long. Yes the outdrive should be trimmed all the way down coming out of the hole. Once on plane you trim the drive out to bring the bow out of the water. I agree with the comments above that trim tabs may be in order to correct this condition. You could invest in a hyrofoil first to see if it makes any difference. They run around $30-$40 whereas the tabs start about $180. The purpose of both these devices is to help lift the stern out of the water and plane out faster. I would get the prop taken care of right away. You don't want the prop coming apart at speed. What is probably an inexpensive fix now could cost you more later.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Getting on plane

Go to a propeller shop and tell them what you have and what it is doing. They will work with you to select the correct prop. If you don't have one near you get on the web, find one and call.<br /><br />And yes you do need a new prop - - badly.

 

[xltier]

Re: Getting on plane

my 18 ft. cuddy cabin with a 140 would take a long time and sometimes i would have to get other people to stand up front with me to get on plane.i put on a whales tail hydrofoil and that boat now comes up on 3/4 throttle like nothing.really made a big difference.at wide open you need to sit still cause it can teeter a little if people start moving around.not bad though,just something i noticed.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Getting on plane

make sure the engine is tuned & making full RPMs before you start experimenting with different props.

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: Getting on plane

Boat seems to be propped O.K if your getting 4500 but that may be the lower end of your rpm range, what is the current pitch of the prop your using? . How does the boat sit at rest, does it appear level or does it sit stern heavy, If stern heavy then the boat could be holding extra weight in the hull such has water soaked foam. Give us some details such has motor size and brand and prop size, and hopefully we can all figure this out.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Getting on plane

If it's used, it may well have an incorrect prop. I second the advice to either go to a prop shop or find out from the manufacturer what prop should be on the motor with your boat. A cracked prop should be repaired or replaced ASAP because if it lets go at 4500 rpm there's no telling where the pieces will go. <br /><br />Once you get that taken care of, trim tabs will help you to get on plane quicker. Nauticus "Smart Tabs" would be a good investment for your sized boat.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Getting on plane

Originally posted by xltier:<br /> i put on a whales tail hydrofoil and that boat now comes up on 3/4 throttle like nothing.really made a big difference.at wide open you need to sit still cause it can teeter a little if people start moving around.not bad though,just something i noticed.

Trim tabs will help with the planing problem and add, not detract from stability.

 

[mperm]

Re: Getting on plane

I do not know the current pitch of the prop and the boat is level. What would be considered the correct pitch for a boat of my size. This may sound like a dumb question but if I have to chagne the prop do I have to take it out of the water? Also, does the # of blades on a prop increase or decrease performance. Thanks for your help.

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: Getting on plane

Its really guess to which prop is correct, but I'm going to assume your boat has a 3.0l motor, if so then a 17p or 19p 3 blade is most common pitch's. The # of blades on a prop can increase or decrease the performance it all depends on the boat and motor. You could change the prop in the water, but is alot easier to do on land and there is no risk of drowning or losing parts and tools. If you can get friendly with a prop shop or marinia and see if you can test a few props, that is the way most of us figure out which is best for our boats.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Getting on plane

Yes you need a new prop immediately. <br /><br />As for your planing problem...5 seconds is normal, 30 to 45 (wow) means a serious problem. But since your boat can eventually spin 4,500 rpm with current setup I don't suspect it would be a major prop/powertrain issue. I feel the most likely problem is that you have a serious weight problem on that boat. If you had 8 people on board, you may have just been overloaded. But if not, most often this excess weight is caused by waterlogged foam and wood in all the parts of the boat under the floor that you can't see. This is very common on used fiberglass boats. I'd carefully check out the structure of this boat before I spent another penny on anything...and I sincerely hope for your sake that I'm totally wrong on my guess.<br /><br />I restored a waterlogged hull once on a 19 foot runabout I got for almost free not too long ago (seller was aware and honest about the problem.) It looked dry enough when I got it home and was hoping to just replace some rotted motor mounts. But after I started digging in I opened pandoras box. Took all winter and needed new stringers and the works...I weighed it before and after....the boat lost 442 lbs by the time I was done. Which means that boat was holding about 50 gallons of water, and NONE of it was puddled in the bilge where you could see it. And it was a BIG job.

 

[beezee28]

Re: Getting on plane

You do need a prop. With a crack in one of the fin it can cause serious damage if it breaks off not only to your engine but also the boat. If you can afford a new prop take the crack one and go to a prop shop and they will reweld it and smooth it out and also balance it for you for less than $50.00. Had mine done when I bought my boat. As for getting on plane, try getting on plane with the 'new' or 'repaired' prop. Might solve the problem if not try something else.